After school charges; Is this normal?

[cat1978]

Hi All
Just a very quick question, I am a newly registered childminder and I got into a conversation with a friend who has another childminder look after her daughter after school (she lives too far from me otherwise I would do it)
She said that her childminder walks the school run and charges my friend for the 15 minute walk to school (she charges from 3.00 when school finishes at 3.15)

Is this normal? I did ask whether she had her own children at the school but she doesn't. I felt I couldn't comment either way as i can see both sides of it.
Out of curiosity can you let me know what you do.

I guess if she leaves her home at 3 to pick up a child then she has started work and should be paid.

Are there any CMs out there who could give their POV?

Why should she be paid? She doesn't 'get to work' until she arrives at school. My employer doesn't pay me for travelling to work - does yours? CMs are no different to anyone else.

Yes, I'd agree she is effectively working from 3pm so fair enough to charge for her time.

Most self employed people charge for time and travel.

I agree as a self employed person the childmonder should charge for travelling time. Employers are not allowed (by the tax man) to pay for travel to work and self employed people can not claim for travelling to their usual place of work but a childminder's office as such is her home. When she travels to school she is travelling to an additional place.

If the child was dropped off at her home it would be differnent. She is choosing to provide the service of collection so should charge for it.

Actually, her home is her workplace and normally a child would be dropped off with a cm except in the cases of a school run etc.

A cm is not am employed person, rather a self employed person providing a service for which she is entitled to charge imo. She is providing a service by walking to school for the sole purpose of collecting the mindee to bring back to the workplace. Other service providers might call it a call out charge.

If she has no children of her own at that school, then going to collect the child is working imo.

Her hourly rate might be low - a different cm might charge the same without including that 15mins.

If your friend is happy with that arrangement then what are you bothered about?

CMs are self employed, so whilst 'no' to an employer not paying staff to travel, self employed people can set their own rates and if you don't like them you don't use that person.

I do the same - I charge a fixed session rate for after school which costs the same as 3 hours but provides for care between 3:15 pm and 6pm. Because any unused time during that time-slot can't be filled with another child. After 6 is double time.

It is possible to share a days childcare with a younger child: If the younger child is attending only during school hours, you can have an extra child before and/or after school. So the younger child would have to be gone before you leave for the school run. So the time you leave for the school run is the time you stop charging one parent and start charging the next.

And even if a childminder has their own children in school this does not necessarily mean they will be collecting them every day - sometimes its childminder's hubby/partner who does the collection and there are play-dates and after school activities to consider.

If you do take on arrangements to collect from school/preschool/child's home or any parent-arranged activity you should ensure you are charging enough to cover all your time and any bus/petrol costs etc.

Flibbertjibbet: I'm not 'bothered' by it? I thought Mumsnet was a place to get other mums/minders opinions as I said it was something I felt I couldn't comment on as I could see both sides, but as a new childminder myself I just wanted to see what others were doing so I could gain a better understanding. Thanks for your opinions they have been very helpful

I'm a childminder and charge when I collect/drop off if not already attending that school. I used to charge for pre-schooler from 2.30 when she finished at 2.45 but if same school as ds then I wouldn't as I'm going there anyway iyswim

Thanks... that's the conclusion I came to as well but as her childminders son is grown up she is only going to the school to pick up my friends ds...I would say it is perfectly Ok to charge from the time she leaves her front door to do the school run.
It was just one of those questions that got us both thinking, I suppose theres no right or wrong answer as it's down to the individual

Oops sorry I missed that you are a cm!! thought you were just trying to nosey into how much your friends pay for their childcare!

Flibertyjibbet No probs In fact I think it should be me saying sorry... I've just re read the first post back to you and it sounds like I am being really snotty, I didn't mean to be.
I must have been having one of my 'moments' lol